When to go to A&E

you're bleeding from an artery – blood from an artery comes out in spurts with each beat of the heart, and is bright red and usually hard to control

you experience persistent or significant loss of sensation near the wound or you're having trouble moving any body parts

you have a severe cut to your face – you may need urgent treatment to prevent scarring

you have a cut on the palm of your hand and it looks infected – these types of infection can spread quickly

there's a possibility a foreign body is still inside the wound

the wound is very large or the injury has caused a lot of tissue damage

In A&E, your wound will be examined to determine whether there's a risk of infection. You may need an injection to prevent tetanus (a bacterial infection), and your wound may be closed with stitches, strips or special glue before a dressing is applied.

If there's a risk of infection, the wound won't usually be closed because this may trap any infection inside. Instead, it will be packed with a non-sticky dressing before being covered with a protective dressing until it's safe to close.